Wedding Day
by JoeBabyFyrestorm
Summary: One of the Joes marries another. Not your usual characters. Remember, I think wierd.


The tall, slim, sandy brown-haired man slowly paced the small room. Back and forth he went, until his companions couldn't take it anymore.  
  
"Nervous much?" asked one of them.  
  
"Worse than a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, mon ami," answered the heavily muscled Cajun in the corner, laughing.  
  
"I just never thought that this day would ever come," confessed the pacer.  
  
"We all knew that this day would one day come for you, son. We just thought it would be earlier than this. I'm glad to see that you finally met your match."  
  
Across the way, in a small room in the front of the church, a small, auburn haired, green-eyed figure slowly paced that room.  
  
"I can't believe that today is my wedding day. I don't know what he sees in me. I can't fathom what it is that draws him to me," she acknowledged.  
  
"It's because of your brains, your sweetness, and the fact that you can think on your feet," answered one of the women who shared the room with her. "And it doesn't hurt that you have a killer figure and are really quite beautiful. I can see why you first caught his eye."  
  
"I don't know..." hedged the bride.  
  
About that time, there was a knock on the door to each room.  
  
"It's time," was the sentence simultaneously spoken by two people.  
  
An older gentleman stepped into the room with the ladies as the men in the other room filed out to the altar.  
  
"Wow! You really are exquisite," he told the bride, offering her his arm to walk her down the aisle.  
  
"Thank you, General," the bride replied.  
  
The rest of the girls line up and start their slow walk down the aisle. As each girl appeared, the group of men standing in front of the friends and family gathered in the church got more and more nervous.  
  
When at last the bride appeared, each man was stunned. That skinny little orphan who had joined the unit as a demolitions specialist was actually a knock-men-to-their-knees, stunning beauty!  
  
How had she hidden her beauty from them, they all wondered. As she glided down the aisle on the arm of the unit's commanding officer, each male in the room felt a twinge of jealousy towards the sergeant who was claiming her as his bride.  
  
As the General placed her small, scarred hand into the larger one of her soon to be husband and took a step back, the preacher began the ceremony.  
  
"We gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the presence of friends and family to celebrate one of life's greatest relationships - the mystical union between man and woman which we call marriage. As we join together James and Cadence in this marriage, let us search our hearts for the wisdom of this covenant, which has from ancient times been expressed with those ideas that come from the heart. Ideas like love, loyalty, trust, fidelity, and forgiveness. Let us also decide to share our knowledge of these things with them as they start this journey together. Into this holy estate these two people come now to be joined together. If any of you can show just cause why they may not be lawfully married, speak now or forever hold your peace!" A ragged looking couple stood up in the back of the church. "We refuse to have anything to do with anything that can possibly be a happy occasion for that ugly little slut. She's nothing but a worthless piece of garbage." The pair just turned their backs on them and walked out. The bride just watched them with pain filled eyes and then suddenly shrugged, turning her attention away from them. She wasn't about to let anyone see just how deeply they had wounded her emotionally, again. The groom, however, knowing her as well as he did, realized what had just happened. He squeezed her hand in solidarity, letting her know that no one was going to hurt her anymore, at least not without answering to him. Letting her know that he would always be there for her, even if no one else would. Silently telling her that even if her own parents didn't want her, he did. That they would forge their own family.  
Ignoring the outburst from the couple, the pastor proceeds with the  
ceremony. "Who gives this woman to be married today?"  
"As her commanding officer and friend, on behalf of the rest of  
Special Counterterrorist Force Delta, I do," answered the general,  
taking his seat.  
"Then so be it."  
"James, will you have this woman to be your wedded wife, to live  
together in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love her,  
comfort her, honor, and keep her, in sickness and in health; and  
forsaking all others keep thee only unto her so long as you both  
shall live?"  
"I will," answered the groom, looking deep into his bride's eyes.  
"And you, Cadence, will you have this man to be your wedded  
husband, to live together in holy estate of matrimony? Will you  
love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in  
health, and forsaking all others keep thee only unto him so long as  
you both shall live?"  
"I most definitely will," she replied.  
"James, please give your vows to your bride." "Know that I mean these words when I say them, my young friend. When you are sad, I will dry your tears. When you are scared, I will comfort your fears. When you are worried, I will give you hope. When you are confused, I will help you cope. And when you are lost, and can't see the light, I will be your beacon, shining ever so bright. This is my oath; I pledge to the end. Why, you may ask? Because you are my lover and friend." He smiles down at her.  
  
She grins back at him. The pastor signals her to tell him what she had on her heart.  
  
"James, since we have been together, you have provided me with strength, security, confidence, honesty, love & plenty of much needed guidance. Where there has been cold, you have brought warmth; where my life was dark, you have brought light. In my darkest trouble, in my coldest silence, I looked for you and you were always there. You are truly my knight in shining armor. You may not realize it but you have helped me and saved me in so many ways and I love you for that. I am honored that you will have me as your wife and I am proud to have you as my husband. I believe that we were meant to be from the start & I will always love you with all my heart." Her voice breaks, but she doesn't falter as she recites her vows.  
  
"A circle is the symbol of the sun and the earth and the universe, of wholeness and perfection, and peace and love. It is worn on the third finger, because of an ancient Greek belief that a vein from that finger goes directly to the heart. These rings mark the beginning of a long journey together. Wear them proudly, for they are symbols which speak of the love that you have for each other." The pastor hands one of the rings to James, who slides the ring onto Cadence's hand, "Cadence, with free and unconstrained soul, I give you all I am and all I am to become. Take this ring, and with it my promise of faith, patience, and love, for the rest of my life."  
  
Cadence takes the larger ring from the priest, sliding it onto James's hand, which was shaking as badly as hers was. "Take and wear this ring as a symbol of our love. With it I wed you, and give you my body, soul, and heart. Or at least what is left of them."  
  
The couple holds hands so tightly, neither one of them can figure out which one is holding whom up. The pastor places his hand on top of their joined hands.  
  
"Let us now pray. Blessed are you, God, Creator of the Universe. Grant that the love which unites James and Cadence may grow in abiding happiness. May there be peace in their home, quietness and confidence in their hearts. May they be sustained in their love by finding a place in their hearts for all people in this world."  
  
"For as much as you have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and these friends, and have pledged your faith to each other, and have declared the same by joining hands and by giving and receiving rings; I pronounce that you are husband and wife together, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Those whom God has joined together let no one put asunder. James, You may kiss your bride!"  
  
James bends down and takes his first kiss as a married man. The room erupts in cheers.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you for the first time, Sergeant And Mrs. James Jonathan Barney!" announces the glowing preacher.  
  
The ecstatic couple walks down the aisle and outside to the stairs, where he pulls her to him in a rib-crushing hug. Neither one seems to notice as they are surrounded by the people that they know and love.  
  
They are lost in their own little world as they leave the church and head to the reception, deliberately taking the long route, stopping for a few minutes of kissing and winding down, insuring that the rest of the group will arrive before them.  
  
He held her close to him as she admitted why she had asked her family to be there.  
  
"I know that it's your nature to love someone even though they hate you and I also know that you will always love your family even though you've been betrayed by them so badly. I understand why you did it. I'm glad you did it. You needed the closure. It wouldn't have been your wedding if you didn't. I still love you, and I always will, Staff Sergeant Missus Barney."  
  
"As I do you, Sergeant Barney," Cadence replies as she leans up and kisses him passionately all the way to the reception hall.  
  
"Ladies and gentleman, for the first time in public, Captain And Mrs. James Jonathan Barney!" Jack Morelli AKA Dial-Tone yells as the couple makes their appearance. He nods to Craig McConnell AKA Rock-n-Roll, to start the music.  
  
He throws on the CD and "Time of My Life" begins playing. James tugs Cadence out onto the dance floor. Jaws drop all over the place as people begin to realize that this couple is made up of two of the most shy, reserved people on the base. Who knew that they would be such talented dancers?  
  
As the music changes, Cadence is handed off to the next man in line, and James stares at her, watching as she moves so gracefully across the dance floor. Even Beach Head, Snake Eyes, and even Deep Six were enticed to dance.  
  
By the time she was finished dancing, Cadence was exhausted. She and James took their seats, while Short Fuze tried to remember the toast that he had come up with the night before.  
  
"Excuse me. Would anybody mind if I took this time to wish Cadence and James a happy half hour anniversary? I would like to say thank you to for all that you've done to make this the special day that it is. And, of course, my gratitude to Pastor Barney for all of your support and all that you've done to make this, by all accounts, the perfect day. And finally, thank you, James for making such a good choice for the best man. This morning when James and I were getting ready, he turned to me and asked "Is everything okay?" I don't mind telling you that I was taken aback by this. In all the years that I've known him, that's the first time he's expressed any interest of any real depth in my well-being. Oh sure, he's talked to me before, but it's usually, "Pass the chips", or "Don't stand in front of the TV", or "Did you pick up the beers?" This morning he wanted to know if I'm okay? I blame Cadence for this sudden surge in sentimentality. Now James is more caring, he's more generous, he's a heck of a lot more sensitive. I don't even know him anymore. Cadence has changed my best friend. Actually, I should thank you Cadence. You've done in (15) months, what I couldn't do in (10) years. It is with great pleasure that I say congratulations to Cadence and James... may you share many warm days and many warm nights... Everybody raise your glass... here's to Cadence and James"... Hawk stands and salutes the couple. "James, take Cadence's hand and place your hand over hers. Now, remember this moment and cherish it... because this will be the last time you'll ever have the upper hand!" Everybody in the room bursts out laughing. By the time the bouquet is thrown and caught by Cover Girl, and the garter is tossed with Chuckles being the lucky catcher, the newly married couple discusses getting out of dodge. As the music plays on and everyone is still dancing, the couple silently slips out of the building and heads for the airport to commence their honeymoon. 


End file.
